Reunion and Abandon
by Drakena the Destroyer
Summary: One Shot, missing scene. Claire wakes up to meet with her father in the middle of the night, he needs her assistance but Claire is forced to leave Aaron behind. Very short story.


**Title:** Reunite and Abandon

**Category:** _Lost_

**Character Focus:** Claire, Aaron

**Disclaimer/Note:** I do not own the tv show nor the cast of characters, they all belong to J. J. Abrams. I want to write about the missing scene when Claire disappears and leaves Aaron.

* * *

Claire woke up, it was the middle of the night, the camp fire was still crackling and bright, Sawyer and Miles were still sleeping. Then she noticed that Aaron wasn't at her side.

Startled at her child's absence, she sat up and searched the patch of ground she and Aaron were sleeping on. Then she saw someone sitting on the other side of the fire, holding Aaron.

The person appeared to be a man, Claire could not see his face because he was bent over Aaron. The man lifted his head to face her, then she recognized his face.

"Dad?" she asked.

"Hello Claire," he said. "He's quite a fine child."

"Yes... he is... his name is Aaron by the way." Claire got up and walked around the fire so she was standing closer to her father and her child.

"He's a lot like you back when you were this little."

Claire watched as her father allowed one of his fingers to be grabbed by Aaron's tiny hands. "Um..." she started, "what are you doing here?"

"I have work to do here," he replied, "and I require your assistance."

"How did you get here? I don't remember seeing you on the plane."

"It's... complicated."

Claire tilted her head. It didn't make sense to her at all. Her father was here on the island, he couldn't explain how he got to the island, and the last time Claire saw him was when her mother went into a coma after the car crash. Even though Claire's father had made several visits to her when she was little, she was crossed with him. He abandoned her and her mother, all because he had another family in the States. When he came back to Australia to help Claire with the medical bills for her mother, she was crossed that he all of a sudden showed up after being gone for years.

Perhaps Claire had been a bit too cold towards her father. He might not have been more involved in her life, but he did care about her. That was probably why he visited Australia to help, it was because he cared.

"Dad," she started, "what work do you have to do here? Why do you need my help?"

"You'll know when the time comes, but you'll have to come with me." He stood up and placed Aaron back in Claire's arms.

Claire stared down at her child as he tugged at a strand of her blonde hair. To think she was going to give him up before the crash, raising him so far on the island wasn't as difficult as she thought. She was raised by a single parent herself.

"I'm finding this a little strange," she said as she faced her father. "You're here on the island when I'm sure you weren't on the plane, you're telling me that you have work to do and my help is required. I'm so confused."

"Come with me," he said gently. "You'll have your questions answered eventually." He began walking into the jungle and Claire followed him. They were walking out of the light of the fire and into the shadows.

"You can't take him with you," her father finally said.

"What?" asked Claire.

"Your son, it's best you leave him behind."

"Are you sure?" Claire recalled the psychic's warning, that she alone should raise Aaron. She didn't like the idea of leaving Aaron alone with enemies all around.

"Yes. Just leave him in a safe spot where one of your friends will find him."

Claire gently set Aaron down on a bed of leaves, the baby closed his eyes and dosed off when he was set down. Perhaps she would return to Aaron once she was done helping her father.

"Alright," said Claire, "I'll go with you."

Claire followed her father into the darkness, never to see Aaron again.

_The End._

* * *

**End Note:** I know, that was very short. I thought I'd just write the missing scene, which are always fun to write.


End file.
